The relay featured a series of backstage films, including rehearsal footage and interviews with members of the cast and creative team. If you missed the screening on the night, or just want to find out more about the production, you can watch the films here:

An Introduction to Guillaume Tell

Guillaume Tell depicts the Swiss battle for liberation from repressive Austrian occupation. ‘Rossini had a very clear idea of the beginning and end of the piece, and the journey of the people of Switzerland overcoming this oppression,’ explains Antonio Pappano. ‘The finale is of another world. It is music of an idea – of liberty, freedom, brotherhood, closeness, humanity – and it’s gigantic in how it develops from just a stirring, to a vision of how the world can be’.

Hear more from Gerald Finley (Guillaume Tell), Malin Byström (Mathilde), John Osborn (Arnold) and Sofia Fomina (Jemmy) about the characters and themes in the opera:

Singing the role of Arnold

Guillaume Tell features some of Rossini’s most inspired music, music that is harmonically daring and fiercely difficult for the singers. American tenor John Osborn performs the role of Arnold.

‘John Osborn embodies many things’, says Antonio. ‘The voice is a sweet light voice and yet it has a heroic quality, so he’s able to go from the most subtle bel canto singing, to the full-on, sparky, meaty type of singing that gets our blood boiling.’

Hear more from Antonio about the role, and from John Osborn about how he prepares to perform it:

The Role of the Chorus

‘We feel this really is a chorus opera’, says Katy Batho of The Royal Opera Chorus. ‘It’s crucial that the chorus are there because if there’s no people there’s no hero needed, and that’s one of our responsibilities in this production – to give Guillaume Tell something to fight for.’

‘The scale of the chorus and our involvement drives the rhythm, takes the opera forward and sets the scene’, says Simon Biazeck of the Extra Chorus. ‘That’s what French grand opera is about, and it's fascinating to hear Rossini do it.’

Hear more from Antonio Pappano and members of the Chorus about their role in Guillaume Tell:

This article has 2 comments

A marvellous sharing of the rehearsals for what is a marvellous musical and theatrical experience .Bravo to Antonio Pappano and orchestra ,to Damiano Michieletto and production team ,to all soloists and chorus and not forgetting the actors.
The performance on Sunday 5th July was an unforgettable operatic treat ,the eventual DVD will provide a wonderful memory.

For the sake of comprehensiveness and a greater degree of objectivity you need to add to ‘read audience reactions to the opening night and the live cinema screening’ the three links to ‘Guillaume Tell: A response to recent debate and discussion’; ‘Small adjustments made to production of Guillaume Tell’; and ‘Guillaume Tell: Join the Conversation’